Appendix Part I

Of all the world’s regions, the region under the auspices of the UN Economic Com­
mission for Europe is undoubtedly the most diversified and most heterogeneous. It
currently spans over 56 countries on three continents - Europe, North America and
Asia - reflecting a great variety in political and socio-economic contexts, as well as
in the demographic trends and coping capacities of the countries involved to imple­
ment policies designed to address the challenges of population ageing.